PM Grindeanu: A decision regarding Justice Minister will be made on Wednesday or Thursday

Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu stated on Monday that a decision concerning the Justice Minister, Florin Iordache, will be made on Wednesday evening or Thursday, after the adoption in Parliament of the state budget for 2017 and after the debate of the censure motion initiated by the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Save Romania Union (USR).

“I said that the two days when we have discussions – the budget in the first, the censure motion in the second, will pass. It is normal for him to stay in the debate on the censure motion, and on Wednesday evening – Thursday he or I will make decision,” Grindeanu specified, on Monday, at Parliament, asked whether he made any decision regarding the Justice Minister.

He confirmed that the resignation of the Justice Minister is an option and added – “or dismissal”.

Asked if the option of replacing Iordache from his position, the Prime Minister said: “Now, in the next two days, no, but after these two days and after these stages that we have to go through in Parliament, certainly.” He confirmed that the expected the resignation of the Minister of Justice and added: “or dismissal”.

“Sure, democratic stages, the whole Government might be replaced if the censure motion passes,” Grindeanu said.

Asked why he does not make a decision regarding Iordache before the debate and vote in Parliament on the censure motion, the Prime Minister stated that the Justice Minister must be also present at the motion debate.

“I told you, the Ministry of Justice is faced with a special situation. The positions of State Secretaries are vacant. Likewise, if the Minister left, all the positions of the Ministry would become vacant. I think it is normal, Mr Iordache has worked on the budget, on the Justice Ministry’s budget, for him to stay inclusively tomorrow for the vote, for all that means amendments, for all these things. And, of course, I find it normal [for him to be present] including the censure motion [debate], being one of the actors of the events in the last days or weeks,” Grindeanu stated.

JusMin Iordache on possible resignation: I will talk to Prime Minister after censure motion debated

The Minister of Justice, Florin Iordache declared on Monday that he will have a private conversation with Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu after the censure motion submitted by the National Liberal Party (PNL) and Save Romania Union (USR) is debated, and then will notify his decision about a possible resignation.

“Once the censure motion is debated and I think, rejected, I will have a discussion with Prime Minister Grindeanu and undoubtedly after this discussion I will announce my decision in front of you. At the same time, I want to tell you that I assumed that the law, as we presented it and as it will be today subject to public debate, wanted to observe the decisions of the Constitutional Court. You have seen that in the public space, because of the fact that this law does not exist today, there are very many provisions which are unconstitutional. I stated all the time and I assume that such an ordinance that would put in agreement the unconstitutionality decisions of the Constitutional Court was needed, ” said Iordache, upon his arrival at the Ministry of Justice, asked if he is considering to resign.

As regards the urgency of adopting OUG 13, Iordache said that even at present, it is justified, because “at this time there are many unconstitutional articles and the judiciary is prejudiced by the fact that within the courts and the public realm, there are many unconstitutional provisions.”

“There was an urgency because within 45 days, the decision of the Court had to be made consistent with them (editor’s note: the unconstitutional provisions) and this not having been done, because last year only some unconstitutional provisions were covered by Ordinance 18, the urgency was to put them in agreement. At the same time, the Constitutional Court established two weeks ago that there were four more provisions, so the law that I will submit for public debate today will also contain those four unconstitutional provisions,” added Iordache.

Asked about the criticism on how he communicated on this topic, the Minister of Justice said that he stated from the beginning that it is necessary to coordinate with the Constitutional Court (CCR) decision.

“Communication is an issue that has emerged in the public space, I said from the beginning that they are needed so as to make the unconstitutional provisions consistent within the law or in the ordinance, as established by the Constitutional Court,” replied Iordache.